Bucket List: Megan Green

 

Bucket lists are windows into the minds and hearts of others. Knowing what is on someone's bucket list is telling of where their priorities truly lie. I have many items on my list, most of which are extreme sports, but the important items are more long term.

Before I die, I want to go skydiving. While this is very basic and unoriginal, it’s very important to me to be able to experience this. It’s all about the mindset of conquering fears. I have so much that I’m afraid of and not being in control of what happens to me is one fear. By going skydiving I would be putting my life in the hands of the skydiving instructor. But, I expect it would be a very fun experience.

A more long-term item on my bucket list is being accepted into the FBI Academy and ultimately working for the FBI either as a STEM professional or a special agent. I intend to apply for the special agent position as soon as I am eligible. Everything I do now is working towards this one goal. I want to be accepted into two different programs the FBI offers to college students and graduate students. They are both summer internships that would help me to get my foot in the door with the Bureau.

I also do not always want to live in Arkansas. Being accepted into the FBI would mean that I would move to Quantico, Virginia to attend the FBI Academy. After graduating I’m not certain where I will end up but it’s not my intention to return to Arkansas.

My bucket list mostly consists of things that will help me grow as a person, and I’m excited to see where my life will take me.

Bucket List: Finley Blair

 

     I have been writing bucket lists as long as I can remember, ever since my best friend moved to Florida in the third grade. Now, the only time we see each other is during the summer when she visits Texas for a month. Then, we compile everything we hope to do in those short four weeks into a bucket list. It's our very own tradition that we have continued it for years.

 

     So, I am very accustomed to bucket lists and hope to achieve every one of the following tasks. One of the first things I would like to accomplish is becoming a dog mom. I have wanted a brown labradoodle since I knew what a dog was but because of my family's allergies, I haven't been blessed to own one. Someday, I hope to move to Hawaii and open up my own gym franchise which will include multi-lane swimming pools, tennis courts, a turf field, a rock-climbing wall, and a sports medical center. Since working at the [maybe a particular adjective here? Name of the gym?] gym as a member services representative, I have come to love the atmosphere and conditions. I have come to know and love that gym. I leave in a good mood following my shift. I would love to cultivate that same atmosphere for my workers in my own gym. Finally, I would like to travel to as many countries as possible. I am hungry for knowledge and new experiences and believe that travelling can give me a look into the lives of others who live in communities and who have had experiences far different from my own.

Bucket List: Julia Gallagher

 

            Prior to this class, I had never formally written a bucket list. My mindset was that whatever I had the time to accomplish in my life was what I was meant to do, regardless of what my goals were. For me, a bucket list is an enumeration of hopes rather than a to do list with an expiration date.

            One of my more traditional goals for this life is to choose a career that aids people, rather than preying on them, and at the same time giving back to my community. In the words of Morrie Schwartz of Tuesdays With Morrie, “devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.”

I aspire to become a nurse or doctor because of my love for helping others and because I enjoy knowing that my work matters to people. The financial stability of those professions would allow me to give back to my community with money too. 

For my personal satisfaction, though, I want to revisit my childhood memories by traveling to Seoul and Phuket.  I would like to see modern Myeongdong as well as my childhood vacation spots in Thailand.  Aside from travel, I aspire to achieve higher degrees of mastery in some of my current hobbies—such as piano playing, cooking, sewing, and art—not only for my personal enjoyment, but also as a way of finding meaning in my life. 

            While life can be tumultuous and difficult to traverse, I would like to think that I could always find a way to make these things work, regardless of my situation. If nothing else, I hope for peace.

Bucket List: Ella Hill

 

Everyone must think about their future at one point or another, the future is always coming and looking ahead is a very important aspect of life. Defining things that we want to achieve can be a helpful tool for clear things to focus on achieving in our future. My bucket list is short but will give a clear outline for my goals for the coming times.

The first thing that I plan to do is to finish my education with a head start into my career. I am majoring in History and over the past few years I have struggled with what I want to do in the field. History opens so many career options, and more recently I have begun to narrow down what I wish to do after I have graduated college and have set my sights on doing historical costuming and dress for the performing arts.

I also plan to eventually learn another language. I took multiple years of French in high school, but never felt as though I was truly learning the language. I want to improve my abilities and widen my horizons which will hopefully open the doors for me to visit other countries and perhaps even live in another country should I wish to.

Finally, I plan to one day visit New Zealand. I have done multiple assignments on New Zealand over my high school career and have grown a healthy interest in the country. I think that the natural beauty of New Zealand would be incredible to see in person. The nerdy side of me also hopes to visit the set of Hobbiton from the Lord of The Rings and Hobbit movies.

Bucket List: Leah Wells

 

            Death and fear are concepts commonly considered as the greatest causes of loss. Bucket lists were created to combat the fear of death as a person’s specific goals transformed death’s despairing loss-of-time into life’s hopeful time-spent-well. A bucket list’s primary purpose is to be a list of accomplishments in life in order to avoid a list of regrets before death.

            When considering my list, I realized that the important goal was to live a fulfilling life filled with love and joy. To attain that goal, I first need to complete college and begin an occupation that will be both sustaining and enjoyable. With this career, I hope to be someone influential and trustworthy to others. After becoming self-sufficient and spending some time orienting myself to a new life, I hope to start a loving family which thrives in a comfortable, loving environment. I hope to be able to raise my children to be kind individuals capable of sharing their love with others. As I think of my future family, my greatest wish is to be a good mother and a loving wife. I also hope to be able to travel and learn about the lifestyles of different people. My parents and I love traveling and learning about new destinations we visit. I wish for traveling to become a hobby which I can enjoy with my future family.

            I also wish to grow personally, to grow into a person who readily helps and encourages others. My greatest wish overall is to become a loving, trusting person and to follow God’s plan for my life.

Bucket List: Hayley Eads

    Many people go to extremes when trying to form a bucket list for their life, while others choose a simpler path. Life is not really defined by how crazy and spontaneous it is, but rather whether it is enjoyable or not. My list might not be the most exciting, but it shows the life that I want to live.

The first goal of my bucket list is to finish school and start a career as a pharmacist. I want to achieve this career goal so I can provide a good life for my family in the future. The next thing on my bucket list is to start that family and buy my first house. I have always dreamed of the day my own life will really begin. This is a big part of my bucket list even though it might seem like the most basic. I have always believed that having family should be most important, and I cannot wait to start my own. Along with buying my first house and starting a family, another goal on my bucket list is to get a second house, one on a lake. Buying a lake house might take me a while, but it will always be a goal of mine. The last goal on my bucket list is to travel to continents. I have never even been out of the country or even flown on a plane, but I want to have a wider spectrum of experiences as I grow older. I believe traveling will open my mind and show me how much more there is to the world. Although my bucket list might not be that exciting to others, it’s a plan for the life I want to live.

Bucket List: Jordyn Dashiell

 

            When most people create a bucket list, they populate it with incredible items such as swimming with sharks or traveling across the world. None of these extraordinary things are on my list. My list is considerably more basic.

            To start off, I would like to get married to someone I love one day. I do not necessarily want to die alone so if I find someone I love, and they are willing to settle down with me and marry me then I will not be alone. Going along with this bucket list item, I would like to start a family with them by adopting.

            After graduation, I would like to move out of Arkansas. I am from Little Rock, Arkansas and I now go to school in Magnolia, Arkansas. I have lived in this state my entire existence and while it is a beautiful state, I would just like to live somewhere outside of it to be able to experience new places but still be close to family. Most likely I would move to somewhere like Texas.

            Next on my list is joining the FBI. I have grown up in a family whose members have served in the army, air force and police department and it has always excited me. I am currently majoring in criminal justice and hope to get into the FBI academy in a few years. The FBI will also allow me to live in a new place.

Bucket List: Dalton Grissom

 

Bucket lists have entertained and fascinated people for a long time. Such lists allow people to work on themselves and to plan future goals. After, they allow for reflection on what they have accomplished. I am at the beginning of my life and still have a lot to do. Below are a few things that I wish to do before I die. 

First, I would like to have kids and grandkids. I just want to experience the joy of bringing up a little one so much like me and passing along my stories to them. I feel this is the most important item on my list and by the end of the line I can look back fulfilled. In the same vein, I want to have my own land, not rented. A nice open field where my kids, grandkids, and maybe even great grandkids can run and play without a worry in the world would be ideal. 

The next item on my list is to start my own business. Whether it’s in the cybersecurity field or in the medical field, I want to have a nice business with many clients and to be well respected. I would love to have my own American Dream, start something from right here in college, work my tail off and grow an empire. 

My final item on my bucket list, one less meaningful to me, is to get a recreational pilot’s license. I’ve always loved planes and everything associated with them. Having one would be completely unrelated to my work but it would make me happy to get in my own plane and fly whenever I wanted.

Bucket List: Elizabeth Burgess

 

    I have always been the type of person who made plans, and I already have a bucket list on my phone.  I of course want to have a family and a job that makes me happy, but there are some other experiences I would love to have during my lifetime.

            One of the main items on my bucket list is to travel to all 50 states. I’ll buy a map and add a pin to every state I have visited. The main states I have been to so far in my lifetime have been relatively close to Arkansas, where I was born and raised. It scares me that there are so many places I haven’t seen and may never see since I plan on living in Arkansas forever, so I must travel and see everything I can.

            I would also love to see the Northern Lights. Since watching “The Polar Express” as a little girl I have been obsessed with the idea of seeing the lights. There are so many beautiful sights to see in the world, and that is just one of them I have always planned on experiencing. Everyone says pictures can’t do them justice, so I need to see for myself!

            Although I do plan on traveling and seeing new parts of the world, nothing would be worth it without someone to share my experiences with. The top item on my bucket list is to have a loving, happy family to go through life with. I don’t want to experience any of this if I’m forced to do it alone. Next, I want a job I enjoy, one that I look forward to after traveling. I must pay for those experiences somehow!

            Life really is too short to waste time on missing out and not seeing everything. I hope to see as much of our world as possible.

Bucket List: Hayden Fanning

 

            A bucket list consists of items that people wish to do before they die. Most people list unusual things such as: getting into a shark cage, climbing Mount Everest, backpacking across Europe, or running with the bulls at Pamplona. Some find such experiences fun or exciting, I don’t.

Most of my list is more goal oriented. I want to have a family, that’s my top item. The next is to find a job that I enjoy and that provides for my family. While those two are often listed as life goals rather than bucket list items, I believe they should and can go on a bucket list.

The main theme in my life can be summed up in the phrase “jack of all trades” because I do a little bit of everything, and the rest of my bucket list reflects that description. For example, I am double majoring in college; manage a restaurant; am a certified health safety manager, instructor, and proctor; hold certificates as a pilot and as a scuba diver. All of these count as bucket list items already checked off; I plan to continue to expand my knowledge in those and in new and different areas such as skydiving, learning to ice skate, competing at the national level in some area of expertise, and learning about different cultures, just to name a few not-so-extravagant items. I look forward to seeing what I accomplish and how my bucket list will change over the years

Bucket List: Vivica Carpenter

 

“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count, it’s the life in your years.” –Abraham Lincoln.

 Humans are not wired to be monotonous, instead, we are designed to be unpredictable, vivacious risk takers who defy all the rules. With the hassles of everyday life, however, it is quite common to start to slip into a repetitive and boring lifestyle. For this reason, it is becoming more popular for people to make a bucket list—a list of goals that one would like to accomplish before passing away. I believe that a bucket list should include goals that make you question yourself, question your sanity, and question why you didn’t decide to accomplish them sooner.

The first goal on my bucket list is to have one of my paintings or drawings showcased in an art museum. I have had a passion for art since I was a child, and I have always enjoyed inspiring others through my art. Having my artwork hung in a museum for thousands of people from all over the world to see is one of my biggest dreams.

Another goal I have listed is to travel to Egypt. My fascination with Egypt started the first time I watched the movie “The Mummy.” Ever since, I have dreamed of traveling there just to see the pyramids and to dig for undiscovered tombs and passageways.

My final goal on my bucket list is to create generational wealth for my family. I want to be sure that before I leave this earth, my family will be taken care of even decades after I am gone. If this is the only goal I get to cross off of my bucket list, I would still feel as if my life made a difference in someone else’s life.

Bucket List: Kyle Smith

 

I have always wanted to be an astronomer and when I am done with school and college I will be. I have had a passion for astronomy ever since I was in middle school. Today, I am still looking at astronomy as a major, but I am also looking towards astrophysics as my final career choice. Unfortunately, no college in Arkansas offers majors in astrophysics or astronomy and out-of-state colleges that do are expensive. So, my solution is to major at SAU in physics, graduate, then go to grad school to get a PhD in astrophysics, and then on to my career. When I do become an astrophysicist, I would like to live somewhere in the world that is: a great place to observe the night sky, accepting to everyone including the LGBT community, and has great weather most of the time.

I am not yet sure if I plan on staying single or if I want to marry and start a family. I still many other personal things to figure out as of right now. I may decide to travel to Osaka or Northern Chile at least once if possible. Osaka is where a few new friends who visited ASMSA during my junior year live while Chile’s Atacama Desert is one of the best places to watch the night sky. I confess that most of what I plan to do with my life remains yet to be written on my bucket list.

Bucket List: Jyriah Brown

 

Life for me has been mostly bland and unsurprising with only occasional excitement. My personality and fears are partially the cause of this. For example, I am afraid of heights, so I rarely fly or go on rollercoaster rides. My other subconscious fears have held me back from similar experiences. But coming to college has made me realize that it is time to try new things and expand my horizons; I think a bucket list is the perfect way to start.

            The first item on my list is to become a crime scene investigator. The solving of murders and other crimes has always fascinated me since childhood and has led me to believe that helping to solve crimes is something I was meant to do in life. Once I set my mind to do something, I plan to finish it.

            Traveling to see the Frida Kahlo museum in Mexico is next on my bucket list. Frida Kahlo was a Mexican artist, feminist, and a truly unique person. She paved the way for many female artists and threw out gender expectations. She made women unapologetic about being themselves and about working in male dominated arenas in life.

            Despite my inability to swim and my lack of balance, I have always wanted to learn how to surf. Born in a summer month I naturally gravitated towards to beaches and oceans. I have ridden on a glass boat, driven a jet ski, and even petted whales and seals. Yet I have somehow never learned how to surf.

            There is more on my bucket list. But if shared it would be never-ending.

Bucket List: Natalie Blake

 

It seems too often that bucket lists only last a lifetime or until the demise of the writer. These memories are often only held by a few people of a daring attempt at some feat. I want mine not only to be exciting while I'm alive but to have at least a small effect on the world around me once I'm gone. I wish mine to have a lasting affect on my field of study, family, and friends.

To begin my bucket list I aim to get a college degree and use it to the best of my ability. I want a job that will not only keep myself financially stable but also help others in some way. I'm majoring in plant science because plants are the basis of life. Being able to work with plants means doing what I love and helping meet the basic physiological needs of others such as food and medicine.. I only hope to do something that would contribute to my field of study.

One day I would like to have a family. I wish not to ever be alone in life. I want to marry and grow old with the one I love. I hope to have children and for them to be productive members of society. To give them a safe, secure, and memorable childhood would mean the world to me.

Bucket List: Chance McDonald

 

Death is motivating. Without the worry of dying, what would motivate us to live or to

love? Death motivates the start of families and the pursuit of fame. By contrast, death makes life and its daily details more valuable. Knowing their time is fleeting, many people want to accomplish certain goals before they pass. This is how the very famous bucket list idea came to be. A bucket list allows people to live life to the fullest. A bucket list isn’t something you do when you’re about to die; but rather, something you do when you still have life left to live. My bucket list is relatively simple. I don’t really care about material possessions like cars or jewelry. My bucket list includes: having a family, being able to financially support them, and just being a decent human being.

In my life, family comes first. Family is something money cannot buy, while providing the most fulfilling purpose in life, love. And in the future, I hope to start a loving family of my own. Before I start my family, I must complete the second item on my bucket list, be financially able to support a family. I don’t want them to worry about food, shelter, or transportation. Not only do I want to cover the basic necessities, but also I want to be able to show my family what this beautiful world has to offer. Lastly, I want to continue to strive to be a better person. One who willingly and happily cares for others, without judgement.

All in all, my bucket list isn’t too complex. I just want a loving family of my own, money to support them, and the willingness and ability to help people in need without judgment. I will strive to make this bucket list come true before my certain end. I hope it is not untimely.

Bucket List: Jada Lloyd

 

As I began my high school career, little did I know what awaited me at the end of my senior year. Months later, I realized that my high school career had swept by in a blink of an eye. Paradoxically, the devastating pandemic has been the most humbling, revolutionizing, and illuminating experience of my life. It taught me valuable lessons that opened my eyes to the small matters that one often missed. Most importantly, it taught me that shared moments with others may be brief and not guaranteed. Before, my bucket list consisted of the usual exciting activities such as skydiving, parachuting, and scuba diving. But, the pandemic demonstrated the importance of community support and giving back to the organizations that assisted me in achieving my goals.  

My mother, a registered nurse, and the deeply moving passing of a childhood friend from a cancerous brain tumor, inspired me to enter the medical field. Consequently, my first priority on my bucket list is to get accepted into nursing school. Upon receiving my bachelor's degree of nursing, I aspire to obtain an internship at St. Jude’s Hospital assisting medical professionals in childcare. My next wish is to get accepted into a Family Nurse Practitioner graduate program. Afterward, my next goal is to work in my underserved community by changing one life at time and promoting community activeness and awareness.  

As I began my next chapter in life, my overall goal for my bucket list is to dedicate each day to serve an individual in my community. While times may be unprecedented and the spread of the virus sporadic, the moments shared with people can change them for a lifetime. Covid-19 may have impeded my senior traditions and even my initial bucket list, but it instilled in me a passion for underserved communities.  

Bucket List: Joe Hinds

 

It seems that everybody has incredible experiences that they wish to have on their bucket lists. Some people may say they want to go skydiving or meet the president or a list of other things. I do not really care for all those kinds of extraordinary things. I have a very simple yet fulfilling bucket list.

I want to live in a nice house with a lot of property one day. I like the idea of having a lot of property that I can do whatever I want on. With enough space I do not have to worry about neighbors getting angry or anything of that nature. I can play music as loudly as I would like and I can play backyard football with my future kids. I feel like a nice house with a lot of property would be the dream environment to have a family and to raise kids.

I would like to travel to Europe one day. I have never been overseas and I believe it would be a very interesting experience to see how different their culture is from ours. I would also love to hear the slang that they have developed over there and the different terms they use for objects.

I want to learn to play the piano. The piano is a very pretty instrument to me and it seems very elegant. When I think of playing piano, I imagine I am in a very fancy restaurant playing for hundreds of well-dressed and young entrepreneurs. That may be an odd thing to think about but those are the feelings I get when I think of playing piano.

My bucket list may not consist of the craziest ideas but they are things that I dream of doing some day.

Bucket List: Jonathan O'Grady

 

The idea of dying has scared people throughout history. It was that fear that led kings, emperors, and scholars to desire the Philosopher's Stone. This pursuit led to the foundation of chemistry. Because of this, I find it quite ironic that a chemist would ever need to write a bucket list. I suspect that many people struggle to quantify the aspirations of one’s life.

As a future chemical engineer I have always had but one goal in life: being kind. This goal is the result of  the near death experiences I have had early in life. Because of these experiences, I have learned to see the great joys of living in the moment. Yet this trait is not unique in my family; instead, it is cultured and grown. My goal in life is to be kind at the moment because kindnesses, unlike achievements, do not fade into the background; they multiply. I know this because the stories from my family tree are not stories of success but stories about how everyday kindnesses propagate. Those family stories of kindness came from my grandfather who would spend hours comforting me; from my great grandfather who fought to end segregation in Texas schools; and from my fourth great grandfather who worked to end slavery in Cuba. I want to be kind like these men because even though their accomplishments were grand—the chief pilot of American Airlines, the superintendent of Duncanville Texas, and the first governor of Havana, Cuba—they are remembered today for their kindness not for their other accomplishments. Thus my goal is to be like them. For me the destination is only important if I can be proud of the journey.

 

Bucket List: Jayson Jones

 

            At nearly any time the last thing I want to think about is the future. Often, I wish to keep potential future horrors out of my mind; the present, the right here, right now, is usually less scary to think about. Yet, I eventually must think about the future and what I wish to do with it. Creating a bucket list is one way to accomplish this. The main things on my bucket list are finishing my degree, getting a stable, high-paying job, and achieving happiness and fulfillment.

            The main thing I am focusing on right now is completing my education. My goal is to earn my bachelor’s degree in accounting. Today, having a college education is paramount to having any palpable chance of success in life. Being accredited in a business field will open me to many opportunities in the future. The most obvious of these opportunities to me is a job as an accountant. Accounting jobs typically pay within the $45,000-$70,000 range, fulfilling the high-paying job part of the list. In order to feel fulfilled in life, having this high-paying job and being debt-free are to play a major role in my life. They say money cannot buy happiness but having a surplus in income that I could burn for all I care will certainly be able to buy things that will lead to my happiness. Having extra money around can give me and my potential family many experiences and treasures through the years. If I still do not feel complete in life, I could always go back to school to further my education, not only to occupy myself, but possible reach an even better job.

            All in all, my bucket list mainly centers around having money and fulfillment.

Bucket List: Kaleb Morrison

 

            When I ponder the concept of a bucket list, I find myself with bittersweet feelings. Bitter, because the loss of my life might wrench these plans from my grasp at any time, but sweet, for the idea that I can alter the list whenever, and should I live long enough, see them through.

 

            Firstly, I wish to further my education in the field of engineering. Having always had a passion for making things, I want to learn as much about the field of engineering as I possibly can. I am unsure precisely what direction my interests will take, nor do I yet know if I’ll pursue a graduate degree, or go directly into a job and get years of first-hand experience working and learning from my colleagues. In truth, I would be satisfied with either of these, and more so with both.

 

            Secondly, I wish to delve into the field of computer science, something which has captured my imagination in these past few years. I love and enjoy what little programming I have already done, and I wish to further my skills so that I can include computer programs of my own design in my engineered creations one day.

 

            Lastly, I wish to visit Switzerland. As I understand, it is a country which welcomes skilled workers, which I hope to be one day, and is praised for its quality of life. Most importantly of all, however, is its impeccable scenery. Whether I will visit or stay in the country is a decision I will have to leave to the future.

Bucket List: Megan Casper

 

My bucket list is not like most bucket lists.  It does not actually list going on adventures, but of ways to create a better life that will be full of adventures.  My list consists of getting a college degree, finding a job that I love, getting married and starting a family, and living my life for God.

Getting my college degree has always been important to me.  I am working towards a doctoral degree in occupational therapy.  I want to become an occupational therapist, so that I can help people get through a difficult time.

Getting a job that I love is the second thing on my list.  My future job will be a major part of my life, so I want a job that I will enjoy doing.  My dream job is occupational therapy.

My third thing on my list is getting married and starting a family. I want to marry someone who lifts me up and that I lift up.  Family has always been one of the most important things in my life.  I want to be able to show the same love my parents show me to my own children.

My final and most important item on my list is to live my life for God.  It is a hard goal to keep. I want people to see God through me and know His love. When I die and go to Heaven, I want to hear God say that I served Him well in my life on Earth.

Most people make bucket lists where you do one thing and check it off.  I am using my bucket list as a reminder on how I want to live.  I hope one day I will look back and know that I completed my bucket list to the best of my abilities.

Bucket List: Opeyemi Daramola

 

I never saw the use of making a bucket list because I thought it would be overwhelming and the list would be endless. This assignment made me think critically, look beyond childish wants, and ask myself what might be my achievements over the next 10 years. After much thought I could think of four major goals: furthering my education, having a family, getting to the peak of my career, and travelling the world.

I will start with furthering my education. I do not want to limit myself to just getting a bachelor’s degree, I see myself going as far as education will take me, getting my master’s degree and my doctorate in social work.

Secondly, I have always wished to have a family, not only having a companion but also being proud of the children that comes out of the relationship. Achieving this goal before I turn 30 would be a dream come true. Then I would have best friends to accompany me in life’s journey.

I am ambitious because getting to the peak of my career is one of my goals. I do not just want to be a boss; I want to be a leader. I want to learn from others, and I want others to learn from me. I would love to diversify my career in various aspect of social work, that way I could help colleagues from all subfields.

What is the use of all this work when I cannot get to learn about new cultures and traditions? For professional or personal reasons, I would like to visit new places and experience other lifestyles regardless of their locations.

This bucket list has given me a whole new game plan that I hope to achieve all of it during my lifetime.

Bucket List: Zachary Mauldin

 

There are many things I enjoy doing in my free time. Playing drums, getting online to play games, knowing it will end in a bout of frustration and empty promises of never playing the “piece of junk” game ever again, and driving around town, however, receive most of my time. But when given the perspective of knowing that I will die someday, and possibly have no warning as to when it will happen, the things I like to do suddenly seem like a mockery of the precious time I’ve been granted. They don’t amount to anything compared to the things I could do and the places I’ve not gone to. Before I die, I want to own and restore a 1967 Mustang GT500. It has always been a car that has stuck in my mind, and I think it is one of the embodiments of what an American muscle car should be. My dad and I have always bonded through cars, and I hope I can carry on that tradition with my kids. I like to work with my hands, so I would also like to complete a large project sometime, along the lines of a cabin in the mountains, or a dock on a lake. I want to leave several physical things behind that represent my work and efforts in life. These are just some of the immediate things that come to my mind when I think of my own bucket list. But if I had one that I had to choose, it would be to set the best example possible for those who will come after me, whether it’s my own kids, extended family, or friends. I want to stay true to the morals and self-expectations that my parents have instilled in me until the day I die.

Bucket List: Maitlyn Harrison

 

The majority of people do not understand, value, and protect the freedom they are given when they have life. No one realizes they are living until life and all its individuality is stripped from them. But what is life essentially? At its core, I believe life is our moments of happiness, our inherent and subconscious desires to be good, do good, and live well. Life is goodness- fragile, puzzling, and entirely incomprehensible. I believe that is why bucket lists are so rare. Life is close to impossible to frame into a manageable understanding, yet fearsome to begin to dissect.

But to live, whether it is our first chance or second opportunity, people must start at some imagined moment of happiness. In my life, I ultimately want to become an author, but to succeed I have preliminary goals in mind. Firstly, I’m striving to complete a Bachelor’s degree in English. That goal is self-explanatory, but to achieve it I want to write as much as possible so as to expose my talent and sharpen my craft. Because of this, I look forward to enrolling in writing classes soon.

 I will enter more writing and poetry competitions. I have done so in the past, but the more I entered them, the more excited I became about pitting my work against peers and other aspiring artists. Writing is a challenge and sport for me, because it’s something I love, but the reward of simply creating makes it all worth it even if I don’t win. It gives me an insight to improve, and I know no matter what my goals are, our bucket lists are reminders for our own improvement and betterment of life, to bring ourselves good. We must be reminded of life.

Bucket List: Noah Begay

Bucket lists are fun to make and usually exhilarating to carry out. Generally, people include very fantastical items on their list, such as skydiving, scuba diving, or anything intensely physical. Personally, I would have the same enjoyment with calm activities as much as with exciting ones, which is why I have selected a few in both categories. For the many years to come in my lifetime, I would like to spend a few in a cabin out in the Montana woods, close to a large lake. Much like the calming attitude of camping, I see myself as a calm and relaxed person. I enjoy the quietness of the woods and the freedom that it offers. To me, the woods is a place for soul-searching and contemplativeness, two activities I also enjoy doing.

Another item I would enjoy is the achievement of completing a car restoration of one of my many favorite cars. I would like to restore an old car to its former glory. I’ve always had a liking towards older vehicles, such as old American muscle cars and even retro Japanese imports. Having one all finished and completed would be a dream come true.

Beyond that, I’d love to purchase my own small plane and learn to fly it. It would be breathtaking to see the vast world around me and to go anywhere I choose. Aircraft like the popular Cessna models would be a great choice, as its small size and agility prove it to be known as a fun and light-hearted airplane.

These activities are a few interests I would love to experience within my lifetime. I know I will change interests over the course of my life, so I expect it to be an ever changing list.